Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that affects millions of people worldwide. This condition can have a huge impact on the lives of those with the condition. It can be the start of a life long struggle with pain and complications from the effects on the spinal joints, the nervous system and their organs. The current medical model for treatment is to identify the problem at an early age and try to treat the severe case with a hard brace technique.
The process of putting a brace on the person for several years can be very frustrating and an uncomfortable process. The results of bracing can mixed as well. The extreme case of scoliosis can lead to spinal surgery where metal rods are installed into the spine to maintain the alignment an offer some correction. Those surgeries are very complicated and can leave the patient with many long term issues such as pain.
A study was published in 2016 that was able to show there are is another way. The study took several elementary school children with scoliosis and game them chiropractic adjustments for 4 weeks. The researchers then took another x-ray of them to see if there was a measureable change. They found that all of the children showed change after 4 weeks. Some of them returned to normal alignment.
One of the key points of the study was the early age of diagnosis and treatment. It is much easier to work on spines that are not done growing yet. The problem is that a lot of these cases slip by their pediatricians and go undiagnosed until it is too late. Chiropractors are well equipped to analyze and treat scoliosis. Look for an office that has worked with scoliosis and is confident working with your child to make their spine the best it can be.
J. Phys. Ther. Sci. 28: 1106–1110, 2016